


Didn't See This Coming

by emperorpenguin (dortmundbvbbabe)



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Friends to Lovers, Identity Porn, M/M, Secret Identity, Still Hockey Players (Hockey RPF)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:08:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 17,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25321411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dortmundbvbbabe/pseuds/emperorpenguin
Summary: Elias just wants to move to Vancouver, make the Canucks, and forget all about his superpowers. But when he has a vision of the Vancouver's resident vigilante, The Viking, getting hurt, Elias ends up saving the hero and getting a secret identity of his own. Between trying to protect the city, his developing friendships with both The Viking and his new Canucks teammates, and trying to juggle two lives, Elias is in store for an interesting welcome to the NHL.
Relationships: Brock Boeser/Elias Pettersson
Comments: 90
Kudos: 57





	1. Prologue

There were exactly seven people who knew Elias’s secret, all of them Elias trusted with his life, quite literally. His parents had instilled in him and his brother the importance of keeping the secret and had impressed upon the few people outside of immediate family how serious it was. This part of his life he’d shelved for a while. The less he brought it up, the better and after he stopped bringing it up, his family could pretend that he was just a regular kid. His brother, Emil, however, never did. Emil diverged from their parents. Instead of pretending that Elias didn’t have superpowers, Emil snuck comic books home and showed them to Elias. As Elias grew older, he was pretty sure that an education derived from comic books wasn’t the best, but he couldn’t really go ask anyone else or go online and search for advice.

His brother had made him dress up one year as Robin, much to the chagrin of their parents who thought the costume hit a little too close to home. His parents threw out the costume the next day, but Emil had saved the domino. He handed it to Elias in secret, “Just in case you ever need to use it.” Elias should have thrown it away, but for some reason he tucked it in the bottom of his sports bag as both a good luck charm and as a safeguard. 

Elias was never going to be a superhero. He knew that early on and his parents had encouraged his love of hockey in place of him becoming a hero. “You can’t do both; you can’t be a hero and play hockey,” his father said. His father was right and besides, Elias’s powers didn’t lend well to a hero lifestyle. So he made a choice early on, one that saddened Emil, though he had pretended to be supportive. It had been an argument between Elias and Emil, the only person who truly knew the extent of Elias’s powers. There were other ways to help people out besides his powers, he could still help people out and be a good person as a hockey player. So he had invested all of his energy into becoming a good hockey player. 

Elias had two superpowers; well, really only one that he used and he couldn’t even really say that he used it. Elias knew what was going to happen before it did; that didn’t mean that he could stop it. It was like watching a movie play out in front of him, a perpetual sense of deja vu. Sometimes he could change things, but that was just the most awful versions of the future. The other, though, had been shelved away in the back of his mind. It was wrong, and someone could seriously get hurt. The less he thought about that part of him, the better. He’d made a pact though with his parents and his brother, when he’d decided to have a hockey career that he wouldn’t alter the course of the games. It wasn’t fair. The only exception was horrific injuries to him or his teammates. It was a point of contention as he grew older that his mother wished he’d change things more, even to prevent his more serious, albeit still minor injuries. Elias knew, though, he had to draw a line in the sand. If he started to use his precognition to change too much he could change the outcome of games, change careers, and disadvantage people without powers. That’s why when it came time for the draft he knew that he earned his position on the team. 

The day before Sweden for the official draft, Elias had a premonition.  _ His palms glazed over with a sheen of sweat as he sat in the seats waiting for his name to be called. The GM for the Colorado Avalanche headed up to the podium and adjusted his tie. He leaned into the microphone and said, “With the fourth overall pick, the Colorado Avalanche select from the Brooks Bandits, Cale Makar.” Cale made his way up to the stage and pulled the jersey over his head for the photos. Then the screen shifted after everyone headed off the stage and the information for the Vancouver Canucks came onto the screen. The GM took his place and said, “Vancouver selects from Timra, Elias Pettersson.”  _

Elias woke up and glanced over to his clock. 4:34 am. Fuck. He wasn’t able to go back to sleep, but instead lay in bed with a grin on his face. He was going to go fifth overall. 

His brother hugged him before he was set to head to the airport. “You know already,” Emil said. It wasn’t a question.

“I do,” Elias replied with a small smile.

“When do you get picked? First? Second?”

Elias just shrugged, wanting at least his family to be surprised even if he couldn’t be. “You’ll have to watch,” Elias said.

And it unfolded just like in his vision. The GM stood up and announced his name and Elias hugged his parents and walked up to the stage to shake the GM’s hand and wear the Canucks jersey with his name on the back. 

He signed his contract later on, signing the amendment that said he didn’t have powers. For a moment, Elias was remorseful. He didn’t like to lie, but his parents had drilled in him self-preservation first, truth second. He didn’t have the type of powers that could protect him like super-strength or super-speed and he knew that if others knew his career could be over. They would see him as a cheater even though he never used his powers in a game, at least not beyond protecting people from grave injuries. He had planned to have a full career in hockey, never bringing up his powers. That was before he actually moved to Vancouver. Then everything went to hell. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is some superhero violence (comic book-esque) but nothing major.

There were three rules that Elias had about his powers:

  1. Only tell people who you trust with your life
  2. Only change the future for insignificant things or in the case of danger
  3. Never use his other power



The third rule was not really a rule that he had created, but one that his parents had set forth even since his powers developed. At the time Elias didn’t understand it, but as he grew older, he understood. He’d pretty much followed those rules by the book all of his life, certainly in Sweden, and in the first week of training camp he managed to break all three of them. 

Training camp was different this time around. There was the security blanket of knowing he’d make the team that took away his nerves. He settled into the locker room and pulled on his gear. He looked around the room, examining some of the people who he’d seen on TV and briefly met last year. 

Brock put his gear down next to Elias and started to get changed. They’d met briefly last year, with Brock having left a lasting impression on Elias. He was nice, friendly, like the human version of a Golden Retriever.

“Hey,” Brock said, recognizing Elias as he pulled off his shirt. Elias saw a garish bruise on Brock’s chest, his eyes widening in shock. 

“That’s a bad bruise,” Elias said.

Brock glanced down, almost as if he forgot there was even a bruise there, “Yeah, a bad check from a few weeks ago. It’s no big deal,” he said, and roughly pulled on his pads and jersey. “How do you like Vancouver so far?”

“It’s good,” Elias said, “I haven’t seen much of the city, yet, but I’m excited to.”

“Let me know if you want someone to show you around,” Brock said with an easy smile. 

“Thanks, I will,” Elias said, “If I get a chance to stick around.”

“You will,” Brock said with a certainty that took Elias back, “I know you will.”

Elias smiled. He was certain of the fact, but it was nice to hear someone else have confidence in him. 

“I hope so,” Elias said. He fished around the bottom of his gym bag for his mouthguard, and his hand grazed the domino he always kept in there. He frowned. He should have gotten around to getting rid of it, but it was a habit at this point. Something must have shown on his face because Bo came over.

“Everything okay?” 

“Yeah, sorry, I just thought I left something at the hotel,” Elias said, “but everything’s here.”

“Great, let’s get on the ice, and show them what you can do,” Bo said.

Practice kicked Elias’s ass, but it wasn’t something that he didn’t expect. He was good, not the best at camp, but he stood out. He could feel the coaches watching him as they went through drills. “Brock, you’re with Elias this time around,” the coach yelled for them to do the drill again. It was a simple enough routine to weave through the cones and try to score on Markstrom in the net. They’d been running versions of the drill for the last ten minutes, but this was the first time that they’d been paired up. 

As they rushed the length of the ice, the puck seemed to connect seamlessly from Brock’s stick to Elias’s. And before Jacob could even react, Elias shot the puck behind his shoulder. 

“Wooooo,” Brock screamed in his ear as he skated towards him and pulled him into a hug. The shot got the approval from the rest of the team and Jacob glanced over his shoulder, shaking his head in mild frustration. 

“Alright, let’s see some more,” Coach Green said. 

After practice ended, they trickled into the showers, feeling the ache of the rigorous practice. Elias stripped off his gear and headed to the showers, standing under the hot water and allowing it to ease his soreness. 

_ He was standing in the middle of the city, in a small alley on the offshoot of one of the larger streets tucked away in the shadows. He heard someone yell in surprise and Elias looked further in the alley. A man in a green outfit with a helmet on was cornering a thief. “Come on, give the money back,” the green-suited man said.  _

_ Elias saw the knife before he did, but before he could say anything, the thief jabbed the knife into the man’s side. _

“Dude, are you okay?” Jake asked, snapping Elias out of his vision.

“Yeah, sorry, just spaced out,” Elias said. 

Jake just rolled his eyes, “We were trying to get your attention for a while.”

“Sorry,” Elias said. He quickly tried to pull on his clothes as the memory of the man getting stabbed played over and over in his mind. 

“Brock, are you coming out with us?” Ben asked.

“I’m a little tired, not today, sorry,” Brock said. 

“Elias, do you want to join?” Ben asked.

Elias knew that he should agree. He wanted to, and he knew that Emil would want him to in order to make friends. “I’m good, thanks,” Elias said as he grabbed his bag and headed out. 

He headed outside and looked for an Uber to take him back to the hotel, the internal battle that was waging on in him was unbeknownst to the rest of the Canucks. Usually, his visions were hockey related, maybe a teammate taking a bad hit into the board or a goalie collision as they vied for the puck, but they didn’t revolve in life or death. He sat in the back of the Uber, lost in his thoughts, but woke out of the reverie when the Uber turned onto the main street that he’d seen in his vision. 

“Stop, you can stop here,” Elias said. The Uber driver tried to protest, but Elias promised a five star review and a hefty tip. Elias tried to find the area that he’d seen, thankfully, there was a fire escape that would provide a vantage point. He reached into the bottom of the bag, pulled out the domino mask and slid it on, storing his bag somewhere safe, but out of the view. 

He wasn’t even sure if he was doing the right thing, but he couldn’t have a dead body on his conscience if he looked at the news the next day and saw that the police had found a body in the alley and he could have stopped it. He was waiting for a while, checking his phone and almost giving up, when he heard a commotion down below. 

The thief that he saw in his vision ran into the alley. Running after him was the man in green, chasing him to the corner of the alley. It was just as Elias had seen. “Come on, give the money back,” the hero said. 

“Watch out, he has a knife!” Elias yelled from his perch. The man seemed surprised, but just as the thief was ready to fish out his knife, the man pinned him down. He wrangled the thief’s hands behind his back and fished out a zip tie to keep him in place. 

Elias was sure the man was safe, now, and he could leave without a death on his conscience. He climbed down the fire escape, grabbed his bag, and ran away. He took the back alleys through the city, running towards his hotel, with the mask still on his face. A couple of blocks away from the incident, he stopped to catch his breath. Suddenly, he heard loud footsteps behind him. He whirled around. “We need to talk,” the man that he’d just helped said. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the lovely comments and feedback! Would you guys prefer shorter chapters more frequently, or longer updates every week or so?


	3. Chapter 3

They say that there are two panic responses: fight or flight, but for Elias there was a third. Freeze. The man seemed to loom over him even though they were around the same height. “I have to go,” Elias said. 

The man stopped him, his arm grabbing Elias’s and holding him in place. Elias could have struggled against the man, but risked injury. The man wasn’t hurting him, but the grip was firm. 

“Who are you?” he asked.

Elias tried to look defiant, but inside he was terrified.

“Please let me go,” Elias said. 

“Okay, okay,” the man said, “I just want to talk.” He took a step back and let Elias go, though keeping him within arm’s length in case Elias planned to run or worse, fight back. “How did you know what was going to happen?”

Elias shrugged.

“A lucky guess,” he said.

“You and I both know that isn’t the case,” the man said. 

“I don’t want any trouble,” Elias said, “I was just trying to help.”

“Are you in the directory?” the man asked.

Elias panicked. Something must have shown on his face because the man’s features, or at least the ones that Elias could see softened.

“Okay, let’s start over, I’m the Viking,” the man said. 

Elias blinked with a distinct lack of recognition. 

“What’s your name?” the man asked.

“I don’t have one,” Elias lied.

The Viking sighed in frustration, “Don’t lie to me.” 

“I don’t have a name, not like yours at least,” Elias said, “You didn’t tell me your civilian name so why would I tell you that.”

“I don’t like unknown superheroes messing around in my city,” the Viking said.

“I’m not a superhero, okay,” Elias said, “I just, I knew that you were going to get hurt and I didn’t want that.”

“I would have been fine,” the Viking said.

“No, you wouldn’t have been,” Elias said, “And I don’t like to feel guilty.” He let the Viking figure out the rest. He’d all but told the Viking what his superpower was, he wasn’t going to make it easier by saying it out loud. 

“I appreciate it, I really do, but you need to be registered in the directory. How was I supposed to know another hero was in the area?” the Viking said.

“You weren’t. I’m not registered for a reason,” Elias said, “And I’m not a hero. It was a one time thing, please just let me go.”

“The registry isn’t set to hurt you,” the Viking promised, “we just like to know who’s in the area in case of an emergency.”

“In case we’re bad,” Elias said.

“In case there are things that need to be addressed,” the Viking said vaguely, “It’s not up to me.”

Elias had tried talking him out of it, but the Viking wasn’t budging. Fuck the registry. They were like directories for people with powers. He knew what sort of information was kept on these registries. Birth name. Alias. Address. Powers. There was an incident that happened years ago when one of these registries was hacked into. 

All the personal data of the people was released and some had to go into hiding because their powers were seen as “security threats”. He wasn’t sure exactly who The Viking was or what superpowers he had, but he was pretty sure that it was one of the more commonplace once, the socially accepted ones like superstrength or the ability to fly. Comic book characters like Superman and Batman had done wonders to popularize those superpowers. They were seen as cool, helpful, even, and certainly not dangerous. Elias, he knew, would be seen as dangerous. 

He supposed that was true, he could be dangerous, but he wasn’t. And people with superstrength or flight could be dangerous as well. It largely depended on the person, he thought. 

“Please don’t,” Elias said, “I’ll have to leave. I just got here.”

He could see the Viking’s conviction wavering, but the Viking clenched his jaw and sighed. Elias could see his mind was made up and it wasn’t in Elias’s favor. 

“What are you so scared of?” the Viking asked.

“Nobody can find out who I am and what I can do,” Elias said, knowing the only way out of this situation. 

“I’m really sorry,” he apologized. 

“For what?” the Viking asked.

Elias’s eyes flashed, turning into a strong glare that was almost transfixing. “You fought the thief by yourself today. You saw he had a knife in his pocket and you were able to stop him. You didn’t meet anyone else.”

The Viking blinked unintelligibly, but Elias was pretty sure that it worked. He felt a sourness in the pit of his stomach, as he walked away. His eyes burned with tears as he headed back to his hotel, feeling horrible about what he’d done. He knew the Viking was just doing what he had always done, but Elias couldn’t risk being discovered. His career was just starting, he had just tried to help out, but in the meantime he’d exposed himself. He’d had to use his other powers to protect himself and his identity, but it didn’t feel good. 

He made it back to his hotel room, collapsed back on the bed, and turned the news on. There was a bulletin on the bottom of the screen. “Breaking News: Does Vancouver have a new hero?” The news anchor came onto the screen. “We’ve had multiple reports that another masked man was spotted with the resident hero, The Viking, this afternoon. Reports come after The Viking interrupted a robbery at a local convenience store and handed over the thief to local Vancouver police. We’ve reached out to sources close to The Viking and local police for more details about this masked man, but so far we’ve received no comments.” The screen changed to show a grainy photo of Elias in the mask from a CCTV camera. 

“Fuck,” Elias said. 


	4. Chapter 4

“Calm down,” Emil snapped. He was busy scrutinizing the photo that Elias had sent over, “You can’t even see anything in this photo.”

“Fuck me,” Elias said.

“Will you just relax, okay, honestly I’m looking at this photo and all I can see is a man with blonde hair and that mask which is a generic mask,” Emil said, “There’s nothing that can tie this back to you.”

“I fucked up,” Elias said.

“I really don’t think they can identify you from this,” Emil said, “But if they do, we will deal with this together. Besides what were you doing out there anyways?”

“I saw The Viking die,” Elias said, “And I couldn’t just let him die.”

“Okay, firstly I’m so glad you held onto that domino, secondly, he owes you, right?” 

“I don’t think he feels that way,” Elias said, “Besides, I used my powers, all my powers.”

Emil sighed, “It was in self-defense, right?”

“Of course,” Elias scoffed, offended that his brother would even suggest that he had used his powers for anything else.

“So it’s okay,” Emil said, “It’s the same as if this guy punched someone that was attacking him.” 

“It’s not,” Elias moaned, “It’s wrong.”

Emil sighed. It was a conversation that they’d had before, and he knew that there would be no getting through to Elias. Emil regretted that Elias had had to grow up alone, without knowing another person with powers. Of course, Elias had grown up with the family’s support although they expressed it in different ways, their parents were more fearful of what could happen to Elias while Emil had thought it was the coolest thing ever. 

“It’ll be okay,” Emil said, “Besides, how was practice?”

Elias smiled for the first time in the conversation, “It was good, really good.” 

“Yeah?” Emil asked.

“Yeah, it was hard, but I managed,” Elias said. 

“I know you did,” Emil said. “I have to go, but thanks for calling.”

“Talk soon,” Elias said. 

Elias’s phone buzzed with an incoming text message. 

_ I’ll pick you up for practice tomorrow.  _ Elias frowned, not recognizing the number. 

_ It’s Brock, by the way _ .

Elias texted back.  _ Okay, thanks. _

Emil’s assurance had persuaded Elias that everything was going to be okay, but the sinking feeling in his stomach made him have a restless night’s sleep. He was woken up by his alarm, got dressed and ready and waited for Brock’s text. 

_ I’m outside _ . Brock had sent.

_ Be down in 5. _

Elias grabbed his bag and headed down.

“Hey,” he said as he slid into the passenger seat of Brock’s car. 

“Hey,” Brock said, “how was the rest of your day yesterday?”

Elias shrugged, “Fine. Quiet, I just spent time at the hotel. What about you?” 

“I just napped, went out a little bit last night,” Brock said.

Elias looked over and saw Brock was tense. His face and words were calm, but his hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. Elias wanted to ask if he was okay, but despite Brock’s friendliness, they weren’t friends. Nevertheless, Elias found himself asking, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, why?” Brock asked. 

“You just seem really, uh, nervous,” Elias said.

Brock looked chagrined before flashing Elias a smile. He relaxed his grip on the steering wheel and seemed to settle back into his chair. “Sorry, just a little nervous about training camp this year.”

“You’re definitely going to make it,” Elias said, “You should have won the Calder last year.”

“You watched?” Brock asked, surprised. 

“Yeah,” Elias said, staring at his lap and feeling his cheeks flush, “I mean I wanted to know more about the team that drafted me and, you know, you guys.”

“If you want to know more about us, come out with us after practice,” Brock said, “Some guys were planning to grab dinner.”

“Maybe,” Elias said.

They got to practice and headed onto the ice with fewer guys than the day before. The first round of cuts had already been made. Elias took to the ice, but the fatigue and anxiety of the night before that had robbed him of a good night’s sleep slowed his legs. He was more lethargic today and his body wasn’t reacting the way that he had wanted to. The excitement from the day before had turned into frustration. Elias glanced over to Coach Green who watched him with a frown on his face. Elias grabbed a drink of water and tried to refocus. Brock gently placed an arm around Elias’s shoulders, “It’s fine, take a deep breath and go back out there.” The rest of practice improved, but Elias wasn’t great. He did okay. Okay wasn’t good enough for the NHL. 

They were getting ready to head out when Troy looked at his phone, “Hey have you guys heard about this? There’s some new guy running around the city.”

“Who? The Viking?” someone yelled from the showers.

“No, dumbass, the Viking came last year. It’s some new guy, the press is calling him ‘The Alien’. What a dumb name,” Troy rolled his eyes, “Dude’s already getting death threats.”

“What? Who’s even heard of him?” 

“I don’t know, I guess he stopped a thief yesterday, this guy’s going nuts in jail threatening to end him or something,” Troy shrugged.

Most of the team just rolled their eyes, but Elias panicked. He hadn’t even been in Vancouver for two weeks, and some guy was threatening him. Except he didn’t know it was him, he was threatening The Alien, which was a stupid name anyways. 

“Are you coming out with us?” Brock asked. 

“Yeah,” Elias replied. 

Elias quickly texted Emil and shoved his phone away, though he was distracted throughout the dinner. He was tired. Following the English conversation was hard, and now he had to worry about some thief threatening him. 

He felt Edler nudge him in his ribs and Elias turned to Troy, “What’s up with you?” Troy asked with an edge to his voice.

“Nothing,” Elias said defensively. 

“If you didn’t want to be here, you didn’t have to come,” Troy said to the protest of a few of the others. 

Elias frowned, “It’s just- I’m sorry, I should go.” He pulled out enough money to cover the meal and a tip and headed out. He heard some of the others yell after him, but he had a head start.

His phone buzzed from texts from Brock, Edler, and even Troy, but Elias just wanted to get back to his hotel room to call Emil.

“Today was shit,” Elias said.

“The Alien,” Emil laughed, “They’re calling you the Alien.”

“It’s not funny,” Elias protested.

“No, it’s hilarious,” Emil cackled, “that is the dumbest superhero name ever.”

“I’m glad you’re finding this funny, because I’m certainly not,” Elias snapped.

Emil sobered up, “Okay, I’ve been thinking about what you sent me and I have an idea. But you’re not going to like it.”

Elias rolled his eyes.

“You should ask the Viking for protection.”

“No,” Elias shot that idea down right away. 

“Hear me out, I googled him and he has superstrength, so he can protect you, and he owes you right?”

“I don’t think he’d view it that way,” Elias said. 

“I think that he owes you a favor, and besides, I think it would be good for you to be friends with someone with powers,” Emil said.

“I erased his memories,” Elias reminded Emil. 

“Look, this is what you do, you apologize. You make him remember and you say it was in self-defense and that he owes you. You can’t really protect yourself and he is supposed to protect people. That’s literally what he does.”

It made sense, and that was what made Elias groan. 

“Do you think this will actually work?” Elias asked.

“Yes. Maybe, but if you get into trouble just make him forget again and leave him alone.”

That’s how Elias found himself, three hours later, with his mask on his face, on the rooftop of a neighboring building. “Help,” he called out again. “Help.” He’d been calling for help like in the comics for a while, hoping that that would get the attention of the Viking. He felt stupid. He looked stupid just calling out for help and hoping that somewhere in the city, the Viking would hear him. 

“You’re the Alien,” a voice said from behind him, scaring Elias half to death.

“Don’t. Do. That,” Elias gritted out, “and I’m not the Alien,” he said like a petulant child. 

“What do you want?” The Viking asked.

“I need protection,” Elias said.

“From what?” the Viking asked. 

Elias’s eyes flashed, “Remember what happened yesterday.”

“You wiped my memories,” the Viking said, anger in his voice.

“I was protecting myself,” Elias said, “But my powers aren’t… useful. I can’t protect myself.”

“That’s not my problem,” the Viking said.

“I saved your life. I put myself at risk for you,” Elias spat, “you owe me.”

“You aren’t in the directory,” the Viking said, “you’re dangerous.”

“You know why I’m not in the directory,” Elias said, “with mind powers, they’d lock me away.”

“What do you want?” the Viking asked.

“I need you to protect me,” Elias said.

“What do I get out of it?” 

“Information,” Elias said, “Information like how I saved your life yesterday, and I don’t get put in the directory.”

“Two conditions, the mind stuff, you never do that to me again. You do that and you’re on your own and you’re written up in the directory, I don’t care if anyone threatens you.”

Elias nodded. 

“And two?”

“Two. This is it, I’ll keep an eye on you, but you stay out of my way. We aren’t friends, especially not after the mind stuff,” the Viking said.

“That’s all I want,” Elias said, “If I need you, how should I get a hold of you.”

The Viking pulled out an old flip phone. “There’s one number on it, that’s me. Only call if it’s an emergency or you have information,” the Viking said, “you looked stupid just calling for help.”

Elias flushed, thankful that the mask mostly covered it, “Thanks.”

“I mean it, I don’t want to see you around,” the Viking warned.

“I promise,” Elias said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Troy's a little rough around the edges in this, but he'll come around.


	5. Chapter 5

Things turned around for Elias in training camp. As his vision revealed, Elias made the team. He smiled when his name was announced as a part of the final squad. His teammates patted him on the back and Markstrom wrapped his arms around him in a hug. “Congratulations,” Markstrom said in their native Swedish. 

“Tack,” Elias replied, appreciating the gesture. His English was good, but speaking it every day was exhausting. Things still were a little chilly between him and his teammates, though he was pretty sure that Edler had given them a scolding because there was a skirt of distance between Elias and most of the others. 

He was getting ready to leave when Brock pulled him aside, “Do you want to grab lunch?”

He must have seen the hesitancy written on Elias’s face. “Just me and you this time, I promise,” Brock said. It was unfair how disarming Brock was. Brock had a face that you could trust and with his all-American charm. 

“Okay,” Elias agreed.

That’s how he found himself at a restaurant across from Brock after the final roster had been announced.

“Have you started looking for a place yet?” Brock asked.

“No, I’ll probably stay in the hotel for a few more weeks,” Elias said. 

“I’m sure you could stay with one of the Swedes if you’d like and you could even stay with me, if you want,” Brock said.

Elias’s brow furrowed in concentration. He didn’t want to mess this up. It was important that he didn’t mess this up. “I- I appreciate it. But I need some time to myself, I just don’t want to be around people all the time.”

He hesitantly looked up towards Brock to gauge his reaction. Instead of scorn, though, Brock nodded, “I understand, my siblings are that way, too.” 

“But, maybe you wouldn’t mind showing me around the city a little bit,” Elias asked. Brock’s eyes lit up at the suggestion. “Absolutely, I can show you some of my favorite spots.”

“Did you go out a lot last year?” Elias asked.

“Yeah, I got to see a lot of the city,” Brock said, “I mean some of the guys showed me around the city when I first got here, but I liked going out on my own, meeting new people, making friends outside of hockey. That’s important you know, having a life outside of hockey.”

A sad look crossed over Brock’s face and Elias remembered how he’d been sidelined for the latter half of the season. “It must have been lonely,” Elias said.

Brock’s eyes snapped up to him. 

“Last year, I mean, being alone when everyone was away on roadtrips,” Elias clarified.

“It was,” Brock smiled, “But they were really good about texting me and sending me updates. It helped.” 

Elias smiled and dug into his food. It was clear that Brock didn’t like the silences as much as Elias, but Elias didn’t mind as Brock talked about his family and friends back home. Brock lit up talking about them and Elias could see how much he cared about them. “Do they come to the Minnesota game?” Elias asked.

“Yeah, all my friends, family, extended family,” Brock smiled, “Sometimes it feels like half of Minnesota is there.”

“Is that your favorite place to play?” Elias asked.

“I like all the games,” Brock said, but his grin betrayed him, “But yeah, there’s nothing like playing in the arena that you went to as a kid. You’d know that of all people.”

“You Googled me,” Elias said.

“You pretty much admitted to watching all of our games last year, it was only fair that I did some research on you,” Brock said. 

“I didn’t watch all the games,” Elias said.

“Sure,” Brock smiled. Somehow, they’d struck up a natural balance and Elias foresaw them becoming good friends. It was easy. If only everything else was easy.

Five days after his confrontation with the Viking, the phone that he’d been given rang. Elias wasn’t sure if he should answer it, or ignore it. He let the phone ring until it finally stopped only for another call to come through.

“Hello,” Elias said.

“You haven’t been holding up your end of the deal,” The Viking said.

“I said I’d provide information when I had it,” Elias explained, “I haven’t had any visions.”

“I’ve been playing criminal Whack-a-mole for the past couple of days,” the Viking said, “a little warning would have been helpful.”

“I don’t  _ choose _ what I see, it just happens,” Elias said. “I’m sorry.”

The Viking sighed, “I know. I’m sorry, it’s just been a rough couple of days.”

“Do you need to talk about it?” Elias asked.

“What?”

“I can listen,” Elias said, “I don’t really know how this works or if you know others like us, but if you want to talk, I can listen.”

The was a pause on the other end of the line, and for a moment Elias thought that the call might have dropped. 

“Have you met other people with powers before?” the Viking asked.

“No,” Elias said.

“Fuck,” the Viking swore. “Not at you, sorry, just if I knew that I was the first, well, I would have done things differently.”

Elias blinked. 

“I’m sorry,” the Viking apologized. “I really am, I sometimes forget that not everyone grew up around people with powers.”

“You did?” Elias asked.

“Yeah, some of my extended family and friends had it so it was easier,” The Viking said, “Hey, uh, are you busy tonight?”

“I have an early morning, but I’m free,” Elias said.

“Let’s grab dinner,” the Viking said, “Masks stay on and absolutely no mind stuff… if you’d like.”

It was different from the other times that the Viking had talked to him. It was a softer side, more gentle than he’d expected.

“Okay,” Elias agreed. 

“Does the rooftop from last week work?” the Viking asked. 

“Yeah,” Elias said. “Should I bring anything?” 

“Nah,” the Viking replied, “I’ll grab the food and see you then.”

Elias arrived a few minutes earlier than the agreed upon time, waiting for the Viking to come. He wasn’t sure why he had agreed to it exactly, maybe it was because he wanted to stay in the Viking’s good graces, or maybe because he felt an odd sense of trust.

“I took the stairs,” the Viking explained. He was out of his uniform this time, wearing jeans, a dark T-shirt, and a leather jacket with a domino mask similar to Elias’s own. For the first time, Elias actually got to see more of his features. His blond hair was pulled back in a short ponytail and Elias realized he was probably close to his own age.

“You’re younger than I thought you were,” Elias said.

“How old did you think I was?” the Viking asked.

“Thirties? I don’t know, you were always wearing the helmet,” Elias defended himself.

“Nah, I’m in my twenties,” the Viking said.

“You’re around my age then,” Elias said.

“Yeah,” The Viking replied, “I wasn’t sure what you’d like so I got some chow mein, egg rolls, fried rice, and beef and broccoli.” The spread was more than Elias thought the two of them would be able to eat, but the Viking piled his plate high with food and sat down on the roof. 

“I’m sorry,” the Viking said, “for how I treated you earlier, I realize now you probably don’t know the etiquette of being around people with powers and that I was probably scaring you especially after you saved my life.”

Elias gulped, “I’m sorry, I just, I didn’t even want to be there. I could lose my job if someone found out.”

“I get that,” the Viking replied. Seeing Elias’s shocked face the Viking put his food down, “What? I have a day job.”

“I thought this…”

“This doesn’t pay except for the occasional free food from places I’ve helped out,” the Viking said. “Besides, if this was my job I’d probably go crazy, it takes a lot out of me.”

“Do you… have a sidekick?” Elias asked.

“Nah,” the Viking said, “It’s always been just me.”

“It must be lonely,” Elias said.

The Viking paused, it looked like he was choosing his words carefully, “This isn’t the life I would have chosen, but it’s the life I have and I’m grateful that I can help people out. The food’s really good, though, isn’t it?”

Elias saw the change in topic for what it was worth. They chatted for a few hours, nothing really too personal that could be identifying, before Elias decided he really did have to get back to the hotel. 

“I’m really sorry about, you know, not providing more information,” Elias said.

“It’s okay,” the Viking said, “You’ll let me know when something comes up. Besides, I appreciated the break and the company.”

“See you around, Viking,” Elias said.

“Later, Alien.” And Elias realized he didn’t hate the nickname when it was the Viking saying it. 


	6. Chapter 6

There were times that Elias would see the Viking in his full outfit, but other’s where he’d see him more casual and relaxed in streetwear and the simple mask that covered his eyes. 

“Do you drink?” the Viking asked.

“Yeah,” Elias said, “But we can’t really drink like this.” 

The Viking laughed, “I know a place.” The Viking reached out and grabbed Elias’s hand, guiding him through the streets of Vancouver to a seedy bar that Elias would have definitely passed up if he was walking on the sidewalks. Elias was acutely aware of the warmth of the Viking’s hand in his own, conscious of the touch from the hero. If the Viking was as aware of it, though, he didn’t show it. 

They entered the backdoor of the bar and settled into a small nook. “You have a friend this time,” the bartender said as he put down a stein of beer in front of the Viking. 

“Yeah,” the Viking said, “but he’s a little shy.”

“Are you eighteen?” the bartender said. 

“Yeah,” Elias said. 

“What would you like?” the bartender asked.

“I’ll take a lager,” Elias said. The bartender nodded and promised to be back with Elias’s drink. “Are these friends of yours?” Elias asked the Viking.

“I helped them out last year,” the Viking explained, “Some guy got too drunk and started trashing the place. He was freaking a lot of people out and threatened to hurt the bartender so I took care of him.”

“Did you…?” Elias trailed off.

“No, no, but I scared him so badly and handed him off to the cops so that he’d never return again and the owners were so grateful that they pretty much give me free beer and privacy every time I come,” the Viking said. 

“Am I safe here?” Elias asked.

“Yeah, nobody will bother us. So, tell me about yourself,” the Viking said when the beer was set down in front of Elias, “Nothing you don’t want to share, just a little about yourself. I’m assuming your Scandinavian, from your accent.”

Elias nodded, “Well what do you want to know?” 

The Viking shrugged, “What’s it like back home?”

“Cold. And beautiful.” Elias said, “It’s different, you know, the culture, the mindset, everyone here is so loud.”

The Viking laughed, “I’m one of the loud ones, probably.”

Elias smiled, “You’re alright.”

“Do people need to hide their powers, there?” The Viking asked.

“No,” Elias said. “Not all, not in the big cities like Stockholm. But I’m from a small town. We don’t have people with powers, or at least not meaningful ones. There was some guy maybe twenty years ago that could split logs with his mind. Just logs, nothing else. So it was like, what’s it called, a party trick. But, uh, there was a guy who could read minds in Stockholm, and he kind of went crazy a while back, he would say people’s darkest secrets. It ruined marriages and lives. I don’t blame him, he was hearing so many thoughts and voices, I can’t even imagine it,” Elias shuddered at the thought. 

“It was too much,” The Viking agreed, “Mind powers kind of freak me out, no offense.”

“It’s all I know,” Elias said.

“Yeah, but you can’t be surprised, and you can make people do things that they don’t want to do.”  
“I wouldn’t!” Elias shouted, drawing the attention of people sitting around them.

“I know that now, but you have that power,” the Viking said.

“I didn’t want it,” Elias said solemnly, staring transfixed at his beer to avoid the Viking’s look.  
“I know. But that power makes you dangerous,” the Viking said, not unkindly, “just like my power makes me dangerous. What you did when we first met was not okay, and you know that now, but I didn’t know that you weren’t ill-meaning at the time.”

“I don’t want to hurt anyone,” Elias said. 

“Neither do I,” the Viking said, “But sometimes we do anyway.”

They sipped at their beers for a moment, the Viking was lost in his own thoughts and Elias was pretty sure that he was thinking of a painful memory. Elias replayed the conversation in his head. “You’re wrong, though.”

“Hmm…” 

“That I can’t be surprised,” Elias said, “That’s not true. I don’t see everything. I just see one version of what can happen and that’s only of somethings. But it’s like a suggestion, this may happen, or it may not. Usually, if I don’t put effort into change things, things unfold as I expect, but sometimes if it’s something bad, really bad, I can change things.”

“That’s what you did in the alley.”

“Yup,” Elias said.

“What did you see?” the Viking asked, though Elias was pretty sure he knew the answer.

“You die. Or almost die. You got stabbed,” Elias said.

“Yeah,” the Viking agreed.

“What’s something most people don’t know about you?” Elias asked, eager to change the subject.

“Do you want a serious answer or a light answer?” the Viking asked.

Elias shrugged, “Whatever you want to tell me.”

“Uh, if I could only have one meal for the rest of my life it’d be pizza,” the Viking said. 

“Everyone would say that,” Elias protested. 

“Okay, fine,” the Viking said, “I don’t let people get close to me in my real life in case I die in this one, at least new people.” 

And whoa, that was heavy. It all but confirmed Elias’s theory that the Viking was lonely, but he’d thought, he’d hoped that the Viking had people outside of the superhero lifestyle. 

“What about you?” the Viking asked.

And Elias knew he had to say something equally personal. He couldn’t just say a random fact like he hated squirrels when the Viking had shared something so deep and vulnerable, so Elias blurted out his one non-identifying secret, “I’m gay.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> minor violence is mentioned again in the superhero context so just be warned.

Elias panicked the moment that the words left his mouth. The Viking’s eyes widened, and Elias’s heart sank.

“Shit, sorry, I shouldn’t have said that,” Elias scrambled for the right words. He shoved the chair out from behind him and left his half-drank beer on the table. 

“Hey-” the Viking started, but Elias was panicking. 

“I need to go,” Elias left the bar as hot tears stung his eyes. He heard footsteps chase after him when he wasn’t even half a block away. 

“Wait, wait,” the Viking said as he caught up to Elias, “It’s okay.” 

He wrapped Elias into a tight hug, letting Elias rest his head in the nook of the Viking’s neck. If anyone saw them, it was probably an odd sight, two masked men in the back streets of Vancouver hugging. 

“It’s okay,” the Viking repeated, “I promise, besides, I’m bi, so…”

“You are?” Elias asked.

The Viking nodded, “It’s not something that comes up a lot, especially now, but it’s not like I’m not out to family and close friends.”  
“Are we close friends?” Elias sniffed and wiped at his eyes as he pulled away so that the Viking wouldn’t notice that he’d almost cried. 

“We’re on our way,” the Viking said, “You’re probably one of the people here who actually know me the best.”

“Yeah, same,” Elias said. 

“I told the Viking I was gay,” Elias told Emil late that night, when Emil was waking up in Sweden. 

“What?” Emil asked, “Why?”

“Because he told me something deep and personal and you always told me that I should reciprocate.”

“Was he okay with it?” Emil asked. “Because if not-”

“You’ll what? Fly over and beat up a literal superhero?” Elias asked with a smile. “He was cool about it.”

“Good,” Emil said, “and I bet I could get a punch in.”

Elias laughed, “Maybe one before he’d kick your ass.”

“Are you thinking about telling anyone else?” Emil asked.

Elias frowned, “No, nobody on the team at least.”

“I think if you wanted to, though, I think they’d be really good about it,” Emil said.

“Maybe,” Elias said and shrugged, “But I’m not really close with them.”

“Yet, but you said Brock’s nice,” Emil said.

“Yeah, Brock’s really nice,” Elias said.

“I’m sure he’d be fine with it,” Emil said.

“Maybe, but not yet,” Elias said. 

“Okay,” Emil agreed. 

_ There was a guy waving a gun around, it was clear that he didn’t know what he was doing which made him even more dangerous _ . _ “Empty the cash register,” he said waving his gun at a teenager working at a convenience store. “Come on, hurry up,” the gunman warned. _

Elias texted his vision to the Viking.  _ Do you know what time?  _ The Viking asked.

_ No. Sorry _ . _ I don’t even really know where it was _ .

_ Thanks, I’ll let someone know _ .

Elias wanted to ask what the Viking was going to be doing, why he wasn’t going to be there, but he also knew that his vision was non-specific. There were hundreds if not thousands of convenience stores in Vancouver and he didn’t know which one. So Elias closed his eyes and really tried to focus hard to coax the vision back. Nothing. He took a deep breath in and tried to hone in on any details of the convenience store that he remembered. Nothing. Fuck. 

Elias was preoccupied during practice, hoping that when he was done, he wouldn’t go on his phone and see a news story about this. There was nothing he could do about it, and he felt so helpless, and he was pretty sure there was nothing the Viking could do about it either. 

He’d made plans to grab lunch with Bo and Brock after practice, something that he hoped would clear his mind from the vision. He was starting to form bonds individually with people, thanks in part to Brock, it was easier one-on-one or in crowds of a few people both to follow the conversations and feel like he was being heard. Bo resembled Brock in many ways, but he was a little more quiet, less rambunctious, and more responsible than Brock.

He had already gotten changed and was waiting for Bo and Brock to be ready to leave when Brock checked his phone and swore, “Fucking useless.” Irritation was clearly etched on Brock’s face in a way that was foreign to Elias. 

“Is everything okay?”

“Hm… yeah, just someone was supposed to take care of something for me and he didn’t. I’m probably going to have to bail on lunch, sorry,” Brock said as Bo sauntered up. 

“Flake,” Bo said and Brock playfully flipped him off.

Elias tried not to feel rejected by Brock backing out of the lunch, but he almost felt abandoned. He wasn’t as comfortable around Bo as he was around Brock and he almost wanted to back out as well, but thought it might be rude to leave Bo hanging. 

They headed to a nearby restaurant and it was awkward. Elias knew that it was mostly his fault, but the conversation was stifled and felt more like an interview. They talked about their summers, their families, Bo suggested a few restaurants that he said Elias had to try, and it was pleasant, but it was nerve-wracking for Elias. He was grateful when their food arrived that way he had something to focus on. 

“You know, I’m glad you have a good friendship with Brock,” Bo said. 

“He’s a good guy,” Elias said.

“He is, just last year he seemed a little lonely. Everyone loves him, and he gets along with everyone, but he never let anyone get close to him, not really, I mean,” Bo said, “But you’ve been good for him, so thanks.”

Whatever Bo thought Elias did for Brock, was probably only a fraction of what Brock did for him. It was hard not to imagine Brock being close to the team, they all seemed to enjoy being around him and he was a natural extrovert unlike Elias. 

“I owe him a lot,” Elias said and he meant it, Brock had gone out of his way to make Elias feel welcome and had helped him bond with the team, without Brock he wouldn’t be close to being as comfortable as he was. 


	8. Chapter 8

For being in hockey, where writers could write whatever they want about him and he was accustomed to brushing off the callous articles that called him too thin, said he was inconsistent, Elias did not appreciate the think pieces that were published in the aftermath of the convenience store incident.

Elias hadn’t even realized that his vision had come to fruition until he saw articles popping up.  _ Where was The Viking? _ ,  _ Heroes: Love the Praise, Hate the Criticism _ . Elias had clicked on a few and the Viking was taking the bulk of the criticism. He was the poster-boy for people with powers in Vancouver and thus the recipient of the scorn as well. The convenience store incident was as much Elias’s fault as it was the Viking’s.  _ He  _ hadn’t provided enough information, he hadn’t been specific enough and therefore, the Viking’s job was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. 

_ Are you okay?  _ Elias texted the Viking.

_ About the articles? Yeah. It’ll die down in a few days anyways. _

Maybe Elias was making a bigger deal of it than he should based on the Viking’s reaction to the articles, but it just seemed so cruel to penalize them for trying to help people. The problem was, while the Viking could storm into places and punch people if he had to, Elias couldn’t. He was small, and though that didn’t impede his hockey he wouldn’t stand a chance against someone fifty pounds heavier than him. His powers just showed him vague pictures of what the future could be like, but even that wasn’t a guarantee. He felt useless, like maybe if he had done more, if he had been better, things would have been different and the Viking could have stopped the robbery in progress. 

_ “I’ll go top shelf this time,” Brock said to Elias as they waited alongside the boards lined up for their drill to practice rebounds. Elias laughed, “Not with the way Demko’s playing.” “What do you want to bet?” Brock asked. Elias shrugged, “I’d say dinner, but you’re already paying.” “Ouch,” Brock said. The whistle blew and it was Elias’s turn to run the drill. He ran it with Bo and Jake and skated off to the side after Bo’s shot was stopped. Brock’s turn was next, and it should have been fine, but he lost an edge just as he was picking up speed. The subsequent events happened all of a sudden. Brock slid towards the goal, just as JT tripped over him pushing him further, faster so that Brock collided with the net with a painful clink as bone hit metal. For a moment everything froze and then, he screamed.  _

Elias woke up with a pit in his stomach. He wasn’t a doctor, but those types of injuries could be career-ending if not life-threatening. He felt sick. 

“Are you okay?” Brock asked him when he arrived at practice.

“I don’t feel good about practice today,” Elias said.

“What?” Brock asked.

“I just have a really bad feeling about today,” Elias said. 

“It’ll be fine,” Brock waved it off. 

Elias wished that he could be certain like Brock seemed, “Just be careful, okay?” 

“Okay,” Brock said, and scrunched up his face. It was like he wanted to laugh it off, but he saw how serious Elias was being, “Nothing’s going to happen.”

They went onto the ice without Elias having impressed upon Brock how terrible the practice could go. The warm up went fine, Elias pretty much stuck to Brock’s side as they skated around the rink. Then, they started to get into drills. It was the drill from his vision. They’d already run through it a few times, before Brock nudged him, “I’ll go bar down this time,” he said trying to elicit a smile.

“Don’t,” Elias said.

“What?” Brock asked.

“Just focus on your skating,” Elias warned as the whistle blew and he was set to go.

Elias ran through the drill, passing it to Bo and having Bo’s shot stopped as he got too close to the net. Instead of getting back in line, though Elias lingered near the net. The whistle already blew and Brock, JT, and Adam skated towards the net. Despite Elias’s warning, Brock lost his edge and went careening towards the net, but Elias was close enough that he reached over and grabbed the scruff of Brock’s jersey to yank him out of the way. A split second later, JT overskated and would have collided with Brock just as in the vision. There was a moment that practice stood still before Jake yelled, “Damn Brock, you were almost roadkill.”

Elias swallowed thickly as he hauled Brock up to his feet. They all realized how dangerous that play could have ended up. JT had lost control and Brock had been unable to get up in enough time. Brock blinked at him, staring at the place from which Elias had pulled him from. It had all happened so fast. 

“Thanks,” Brock said, sincerely. Elias prayed that Brock didn’t ask him how he’d known. 

“No problem,” Elias replied, relaxing now that his vision hadn’t come true. The rest of practice was fine, Elias was able to breathe for the first time that day since he’d had that vision.

“Man, that was like some That’s so Raven magic back there,” Jake continued as they headed into the locker room. And boy, was that close to the truth.

“Shut the fuck up,” Troy said, “If anything it was like Peter Petrelli.” 

“Nah, it was just luck, really good luck, right Elias?” Brock asked. 

“Right,” Elias replied and maybe, just maybe he had dodged a bullet.


	9. Chapter 9

Elias had grabbed a pizza and headed to the rooftop of what had become known as  _ their _ building, even though neither of them actually had any attachment to the building. The Viking appeared a few minutes after they’d originally planned, limping slightly and holding his shoulder awkwardly.

“What happened?” Elias asked. 

“I was stopping this guy, he was harassing some girl in an alley, and I didn’t realize he had friends,” the Viking said.

“Is it bad?” Elias asked as he stood up to survey the damage. The Viking looked like he was sore and in discomfort, but not acute pain, which was good, Elias supposed. 

“I’ve had worse,” the Viking said and he eased himself down to sit on the rooftop. The Viking reached into the pizza box and pulled out a slice, letting the cheese stretch until it inevitably pulled away.

“Are things bad?” Elias asked, “With all the press and stuff?”  
The Viking waved off the concern, “Look, what happened with the convenience store wasn’t just on you and me, okay? They’re placing the blame on us because it’s easy, but there were other people who knew about the threat and they didn’t do anything and they aren’t being held responsible. It’s not fair, but that’s how it goes.”

“Doesn’t it bother you?” Elias asked.

“Sometimes, usually when it is my fault or I could have done more, you know, I’m already thinking about how things could have been different and blaming myself, I don’t need to but in this case, there probably wasn’t much I could have done anyways, I was preoccupied and I didn’t know when or where it was actually going to happen. And I don’t blame you either,” The Viking clarified, “we all have limitations and that’s hard for people to recognize.”

“I guess,” Elias said. 

“Come on, let’s talk about something else,” the Viking said as he nudged Elias’s foot playfully. 

“Like what?”

“Are you watching anything on TV?” 

Elias flushed and prayed that the dim lighting hid his embarrassment.

“What is it?” the Viking asked jumping on Elias’s shyness.

“It’s really bad,” Elias said.

“Tell me,” the Viking begged.

“No,” Elias protested.

“I’m  _ injured _ , are you seriously going to leave me wondering what in the world it could possibly be as I lay on my couch in pain?” the Viking asked, upping the theatrics in a way that made Elias roll his eyes.

“You can’t laugh,” Elias said.

“I won’t, probably,” the Viking said. 

“Teen titans,” Elias said.

The Viking’s eyes lit up, “Teen Titans, like that cartoon, oh my god.”

“It’s a good show,” Elias said.

“It is a good show,” the Viking said, “But you know it isn’t exactly biographical.”  
Elias shrugged, “I watched all that sort of stuff when I was younger, back in Sweden, it was the closest thing I had to people with powers.”

The Viking froze but seemed to snap out of his reverie, “It was created by someone who doesn’t have powers though, so it’s not really accurate. They’re off fighting super villains while I’m usually stopping people who are trying to rob mom-and-pop stores.”

“No supervillains?” Elias asked. 

“Only run into one of them once,” the Viking said, “That’s ultimately what got me this gig.”

“Want to talk about it?” Elias asked.

“Some other time,” the Viking said. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Do I have to answer?” Elias asked.

“No,” the Viking said, “But-”

They were interrupted by what sounded like a car crash a few blocks away. The Viking turned his head towards the commotion, hearing yelling that followed.

“Ah, man, I have to go,” the Viking said.

“Be careful, okay,” Elias said, concerned over the fact that the Viking was going out while injured. 

“I’ll be fine,” the Viking promised.

Elias just hoped that would be the case.

_ Taking a break for a few days _ was the text message that Elias woke up to. He hoped that everything was okay. Worse yet, Elias was headed on the first major roadtrip of the season and he wouldn’t be able to check in with the Viking if he was in trouble.

_ Take it easy _ , Elias wrote back only to receive a thumbs up emoji as a reply.

He had his bag packed for the road trip. Brock had promised to pick him up and head over to the arena for practice one last time before getting on the flight. 

“Any bad feelings about today?” Brock asked.

Elias laughed, “No, you’re all good.”

“Are you going to be sick of me after a week, roomie?” Brock asked.

“Obviously,” Elias said. It was a little mean and not funny at all, but Brock laughed anyways.

Brock leaned in closer to him, invading Elias’s personal space, “Morning, noon, and night, you have me 24/7.”

“I can’t wait,” Elias said.

“We’re going to have movie marathons, all the Star Wars, all the Jurassic Parks, all the Avenger movies,” Brock promised.

“I’m more of a Batman fan,” Elias said.

Brock stopped for a second. 

“What?” 

“Nothing, we can watch the Batman ones if you want, just not the Ben Affleck one because that was stupid,” Brock said.

“Fine, but the ones with Christian Bale for sure,” Elias said. 

“Deal,” Brock agreed, “I’ll see you on the ice, I have to check in with the trainer.”

“Are you okay?” Elias asked, concernedly.

“Yeah, I just have to get them to K-tape my shoulder,” Brock said. 

“What happened?” Elias asked. 

“I slept wrong,” Brock said and rolled his eyes, “Can you believe that? The dumbest injury ever.”

“You need to get a better mattress,” Elias said, “We can’t have you being scratched because of a poor night’s sleep.”

“I’ll take it if you pay for it,” Brock said.

“It’s your contract year,” Elias reminded him, “you can pay for it yourself.”


	10. Chapter 10

They’ve made it through Batman Begins and The Dark Knight by the time they make it to Chicago. It’s their second game of the road trip, following a loss in St. Louis, they headed north. Brock was really testing Elias with the threat that he’d made prior to leaving on the road trip. He stuck to Elias’s side. If it came down to it, Elias was pretty sure that Brock would back off if he was asked, but Elias didn’t need his privacy that badly.

Movies would be for the flights, but in the hotel rooms, Brock would find some show on Netflix that Elias had never seen and play it for both of them. Sometimes it was nice to just sit next to someone in silence and enjoy the same moment together. 

_ Elias felt like he was on fire. His eyes watered under the mask as the heat engulfed him. “Stop,” Elias choked out, but he was drowned out by the roar of the fire. Everywhere he turned, flames licked up the walls. His throat was parched and despite  _

_ “Make it stop,” a voice that seemed so far away yelled. _

“Elias,” a voice called out.

_ “Please make it stop,” the voice screamed. _

“Petey!” strong arms gripped him. Elias woke up, blinking a few times as Brock’s face came into focus. His breathing was rapid, almost as if he’d endured a grueling practice. Brock hovered over him concerned but loosened his grip when it was clear that Elias was awake. 

“It was just a dream,” Brock said. 

Elias swung his legs off the bed and stared at his hands. They were fine. He was fine. Brock offered him a glass of water and Elias hadn’t even noticed him grab any. His hands were shaking. 

“Hey, it’s okay,” Brock said. He sat down on the edge of Elias’s bed and held his hands in his own. “When I was little, I used to have nightmares and my mom would come in and hold my hands like this.”

Elias swallowed, not trusting his voice, “What did you dream about?”

Brock laughed, “I had a recurring dream that I was drowning in quicksand. I’d read some book I guess where the main character got stuck in quicksand. I don’t know, but anyways, I’d wake up crying.”  
“Did your nightmare ever come true?” Elias asked.

“I’ve never run into quicksand,” Brock said, “You know sometimes dreams are just that, dreams.”

Elias swallowed thickly. He of course had dreams like other people, but this wasn’t one of them. He could feel the flames licking at him. This was a vision. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Brock asked.

Elias shook his head and pulled his hands away, “No, besides, it was just a dream.”

“Okay,” Brock said. 

Except it wasn’t just a dream and it didn’t end after that. Elias was exhausted after their game against the Blackhawks. He practically dove into the bed when he and Brock returned to their hotel room after another painful loss.

“We’ll win in Colorado,” Brock promised as he shed off his game day suit and slid into bed. 

“I hope so,” Elias said as he glanced at his phone one last time before Brock turned out the light. 

_ Elias was going to die like this. The flames were too thick to see any clear, safe path out. He pulled his sleeves down closer over his hands to add a little more protection. “You have to make this stop!” _

Elias shot up right, awoken by the sound of his own scream.

“Shit!” Brock yelped as Elias had woken him up as well.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Elias said, feeling a panic attack encroach on him. He sobbed out of frustration, fear, and fatigue. 

“Hey, it’s okay,” Brock said. 

Elias could hear his feet shuffling over to the other side of the room.

“Same dream again?” Brock asked.

Elias nodded.

“Come on, let’s go back to sleep.”

Instead of returning to his own bed, though, Brock slipped into the other side of the bed, “I’ll wake you up again if you start to have a nightmare.”  
Elias’s heart was still racing as he felt Brock settle into the space next to him. He was aware of the warmth of Brock’s body, just a foot away as he situated himself on the pillow and his eyes closed back asleep. 

Elias felt Brock’s fingers seek him out, just gently reaching over and landing on his shoulder as if it was an affirmation that Brock was right there. It took him a while to go back to sleep, the fear of having the same vision again scared him. He was envious of how peaceful Brock looked and how easy it was for him to go back to sleep. Sometime, though, in the early morning, he was able to go back to sleep and this time he just dreamed.

Brock had woken up before Elias, gotten dressed, and just poked Elias a few minutes before they were set to head down to breakfast. “Petey, time to wake up,” Brock said and gently rubbed Elias’s shoulder.

Elias glanced at the clock. They’d be on a plane in less than two hours heading to Colorado to play the Avalanche.

Elias dressed without a word, trudging behind Brock to go to breakfast like a zombie. In the elevator, though, he cleared his throat. “Thanks, for yesterday.”

“Any time, I mean it,” Brock said with deep sincerity, “Uh, you know there are people besides me you can talk to if you want. Not that I mind you talking to me, I’m happy to help in anyway, but uh, they’re more qualified.”

“Thanks,” Elias said, but he knew he wouldn’t take up Brock’s offer. 

They watched Lilo and Stitch on the plane together, despite chirping from their teammates. It had been Brock’s idea, but Elias had agreed. “Look Petey, it’s you,” Bo said from behind them as Stitch crash landed on the screen.

“Please, I’m at least Nani,” Elias said.

“He’s like David,” Brock said. 

“How is he like David?” Jake asked, “and if we’re casting this I’m definitely Lilo.”  
“Shut up, Jake, you’re like Pudge the fish.”

As their teammates around them debated the merits of who was which role in Lilo and Stitch, Brock rested his head on Elias’s shoulder. It was a grounding gesture, probably more for Elias’s sake than Brocks, but Elias gently leaned his head on top of Brocks. 

He heard a camera click on someone’s phone and Elias was pretty sure that photo would resurface as ammunition for teasing later, but for now, he let it rest.

They were dressed for the Colorado game. For warmups, Brock stuck back a little closer to the blue line to chat with one of the Avalanche players. It was friendly banter across the ice and Brock smiled in a way that made Elias jealous. “You know him?” Elias asked.

“Yeah, he’s a good friend,” Brock said as he rejoined the rest of the warm up. 

They beat the Avalanche 5-3 that night and everyone left the ice on a high after their luck had changed tides. 

Brock was the first one to get dressed, “I’ll see you guys later.”

“Oooh Brock has a hot date,” someone joked. Brock rolled his eyes but didn’t disagree and Elias didn’t know if that meant it was true or if it was something so absurd that Brock wouldn’t dignify it with a response. 

“Are you leaving?” Elias asked as he followed Brock out of the Visitor’s Dressing Room towards the exit.

“If you need me to stay, I can cancel,” Brock said as Tyson waited for him towards the exit of the arena. 

“No, it’s fine. Have fun,” Elias said, “see you at the hotel.”

Brock waved goodbye as he ran to catch up with Tyson and something ugly reared itself in Elias’s stomach that he carefully tamped down. 


	11. Chapter 11

Elias didn’t sleep well that night, as Brock’s presence had been something that he’d begun to take for granted. The truth was, he was preoccupied by the vision that he’d had and Brock’s absence just left him alone in his thoughts. He’d tried going to bed, but found himself scrolling through his Instagram account. He sighed when he found a photo Brock was tagged in alongside Tyson Jost with a fan. Brock was beaming in the photo with one arm wrapped around the fan and one arm around Tyson’s waist.

It didn’t mean anything. Elias didn’t even know if Brock was gay or bi or pan or interested in men in any way. However, Elias fixated on the hand around the waist. Elias had hundreds of pictures with friends where he’d had his arm around someone’s shoulders, that was a friendly gesture. But the waist was so personal, so intimate. Elias’s mind wandered to what Brock was doing now. If he was curled up against Tyson similar to how he’d been with Elias last night. 

The worst part, Elias knew, was that last night hadn’t meant anything. Brock had just wanted to sleep and by wanting to sleep, he had wanted Elias to sleep as well. It had been an intimate gesture, sharing a bed with someone, that had been divorced from all of the significance. It was just a way to calm Elias down. It could have been anyone else. 

Elias knew, though, anyone else wouldn’t have calmed him down the way that Brock had. 

He grabbed his other phone. He hadn’t heard anything from The Viking since he’d started the roadtrip even though he’d texted him a few times, to no response. 

_ Can I call you?  _ Elias messaged.

_ Is it an emergency? _ The Viking replied a few minutes later.

And it wasn’t, but Elias had wanted someone and if it couldn’t be Brock, he hoped that at least The Viking.

_ No. _

_I’m kind of busy._ _I’ll call tomorrow._

And that was that. Elias was alone. 

Brock wasn’t there when Elias woke up. Despite a lack of a vision, he still didn’t feel like he was well-rested. He headed downstairs and to be honest, he wasn’t even sure if Brock had returned to the room. Brock was already there, sitting at a table next to JT, wearing a polo and jeans. 

“Hey,” Elias said.

“Hey,” Brock lowered his voice, “Were you okay last night without me?” It was said quietly enough so that the conversation could only be heard between the two of them. Besides, JT was staring at a dumb argument unfolding between Troy and Jake and was otherwise distracted.

“I survived twenty years without you,” Elias said, watching as Brock’s concerned face collapsed and the barb struck as intended.

It wasn’t fair and Elias knew that the moment he said those words. Brock was entitled to a life outside of him. He was entitled to other friends and Elias had no right to be jealous. He went to apologize to Brock, but suddenly JT was back in the conversation and the moment of privacy had passed.

They spent the rest of their breakfast in silence. The rest of their teammates looked between the two of them and there was clear concern and confusion etched on their faces. They sat apart on the bus. Elias pulled up his hoodie and stared out the window, clearly giving off signs to leave him alone.

Then they got to the locker room and everything went to shit. They started to get dressed and when Elias glanced over to Brock, his heart sank.

There were bruises all over Brock’s back. “Were you mauled by a bear last night?” Bo asked as he looked at the splotches. Brock flushed but smiled.

And Elias’s heart sank because he knew. It was Tyson who had been the cause of it. There were a couple of wolf whistles in the locker room and Brock didn’t dignify them with any explanation or a response. Elias couldn’t look at Brock though. Instead, he hurried and pulled on his gear, almost running out of the locker room. He should have taken note of the acceptance in the locker room and the jokes that were not unkind, the type that any guy with those type of bruises would get in the locker room. It was clear that everyone else had come to the same conclusion as Elias. 

“Hey,” a voice shouted after Elias and he tried to ignore the footsteps chasing after him. “Don’t be a homophobic dick, it’s not a good look,” Troy said as he pulled Elias aside. There was a clear warning in his voice. Elias had stayed away from Troy after the disastrous lunch and they’d created a detente. They were able to share spaces and had mutual friends and they were fine as teammates, but they weren’t friends. 

  
  


Something must have shown on Elias’s face, though, because Troy’s voice softened. “It’s not that, though, is it?”

“I’m trying to figure some things out,” Elias admitted, “I don’t know yet.”  
“Figure it out, before you hurt him,” Troy said, “But if you did figure things out, we’d be supportive.”

“Thanks,” Elias said. 

The frostiness between Brock and Elias was apparent throughout practice. So much so that Coach Green ended the practice with them skating suicides from all the missed passes and failed plays.

On the plane, Elias took the seat next to Brock. He was turned towards the window, away from Elias, but flinched when Elias sat down. 

“I’m sorry,” Elias said. It was quiet and faint and for a moment Elias thought he’d fallen asleep. 

“I don’t get it,” Brock said, but he turned over to face Elias.

“I’m just dealing with some things now,” Elias said. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Brock asked. And even though he’d been hurt, he was still trying to help and be a good friend.

“Not yet, but I think I will,” Elias said. 

“Okay,” Brock said, “I forgive you.” And it was like a weight was lifted off of Elias’s chest. Before takeoff, Elias checked his phone one more time to see if The Viking had texted him, but he didn’t have any new messages. 


	12. Chapter 12

The road trip was rough. Even though Brock had forgiven Elias and Elias believed that it was true, there was an unease that settled between them. Elias wanted to ask what had happened with Tyson. He wanted to hear the sordid details so that he could imagine himself in Tyson’s shoes, even though he knew that that would hurt him. 

There were so many questions that Elias had for Brock, but he knew he was on thin ice. He knew that if he pushed Brock too much he would seem homophobic or worse, lose him. Elias sighed. They still sat on the plane next to each other, they still hung out at meals and would watch TV when Brock settled on a show that he was insistent Elais needed to watch. By the end of the road trip, Elias was sure of his feelings for Brock. He was comfortable enough with himself to know that he was jealous of Tyson and whatever had happened in Colorado, but things weren’t back to the way they had been. 

“Where were you?” Elias asked when he finally met up with the Viking three days after they’d returned to Vancouver. “I wanted to talk to you.”

The Viking’s face shuttered, “I needed a break, it wasn’t an emergency, I’m sorry I didn’t call as promised.”

“I needed to talk to you,” Elias said. 

“About what?” The Viking asked. He sounded exasperated with Elias 

“Relationships,” Elias said.

“Seriously?” The Viking asked.

“Yes,” Elias pressed on, “Are you in one?”

“No,” The Viking said, cautiously.

“Have you been in one?” Elias asked.

“I had a high school girlfriend, I’ve dated a bit, too, since I moved here, but nothing’s lasted,” The Viking said, “Why?”

“I was interested in someone. I _am_ interested in someone, I guess,” Elias said, “BUt I wasn’t sure if it was possible.”  
The Viking looked pained, “It’s easier within the community, I think. We’re all keeping the same secrets, we’re all dealing with similar things. I’ve heard of people dating non-powered people, I’m not opposed to it, I’ve done it, too, but at some point you have to decide if you’ll keep them in the dark about all this or if you’ll let them know. Either way, it doesn’t seem like there’s a future in a lot of the relationships. Sorry, I know that’s probably not the answer or opinion that you were looking for.”

“You think you’ll end up with someone with powers?” Elias asked.

“Maybe, but I’ve seen how tragic those relationships can be first hand,” the Viking said. “I guess, I always thought I’d end up alone. Living two lives isn’t sustainable, and there are so few of us, it’s not a guarantee, so yeah, I guess I imagined being alone.”

“I don’t think so,” Elias said, “You’re too good of a person to end up alone.”

“I’m sure people would beg to differ. Have you seen the headlines lately?” The Viking asked.

Elias had. The criticisms of the superheroes hadn’t died off as the Viking had suggested. Instead, after the first articles were written, more seemed to pop up. Elias appreciated the more nuanced ones. He knew the Viking had made mistakes, he also knew that the Viking had done a lot of good. 

“I thought they’d be done by now,” Elias said. 

“Me too,” the Viking replied, “I’ll probably lay low for a while longer.”

“I had a vision,” Elias said, “It was terrible.”

“What happened?”

“I don’t know. It just felt like I was dying,” Elias said, “And only I could stop it.”

“You’re not going to be alone. Whatever your vision was, whatever happens, you’re not going to be alone,” the Viking said, “And even if… you won’t be alone for that either. I have to go, but I promise, next time you call, I’ll pick up the phone.”

  
Elias headed over to Brock’s apartment, not too far away from where the Viking had left him. He’d wandered around for a while, mulling over what the Viking had said. For as disenchanted with relationships as he’d seemed, Elias thought he was wrong. The Viking didn’t know Brock, and while the Viking’s advice may have been true for most people, Brock was the exception. Elias wanted Brock to be the exception. 

“Now’s really not a good time, Elias,” Brock said through the speaker.

“Please, just for a few minutes,” Elias said and smiled when the buzzer allowed him up. 

Brock seemed a little on edge, though not unhappy entirely to see him. 

“Can we talk about what happened in Colorado?” Elias asked.

“We can, but I thought that was behind us,” Brock said, “I forgave you.”  
“I know and I appreciate it, but look, whatever is going on between you and Tyson, I just didn’t want you to think I was being homophobic.”

“I didn’t think that,” Brock said. 

“I-” Elias cleared his throat, “I wanted to tell you that I was gay and that I support you. That’s what I should have said and I’m sorry I didn’t.”

“Look-” Brock started.

“And I don’t know what sort of relationship that you have and you don’t need to tell me, but I did a lot of thinking, a lot of thinking over the road trip and I realized I really like you.”

For once, Brock’s face was unreadable. 

“Like, more than a friend,” Elias said despite everything in him telling him to backtrack.

“Elias,” Brock started, and when Elias looked at his face, that answer was written all over it. 

“Right, sorry, I shouldn’t have said that,” Elias said as he backed up towards the door. 

“Elias, come on, let’s talk about it,” Brock said. 

Elias wasn’t sure how he thought this was going to unfold, but it wasn’t this way. He nearly ran out of Brock’s apartment into the night. Maybe Brock wasn’t the exception, but at least this way, Elias wouldn’t have the chance to find out. 


	13. Chapter 13

“Can we talk after practice?” Brock asked as he approached Elias at practice the next day.

“No, there’s nothing to talk about,” Elias said.

“Please,” Brock said.

“Did your answer change from last night?” Elias asked and Brock’s face was stony, “Then we have nothing to talk about.”

“Please,” Brock begged.

“I just need some space,” Elias said, “Please just give me it.”

“Can I give you a reason though?”

“If the answer is still the same, does the reason matter?” Elias bitterly, “Please, let’s just move forward.”

“If that’s what you want,” Brock said.

“It is,” Elias clipped back. He knew that Brock couldn’t be blamed for not feeling the same way, or having a boyfriend, or whatever the reason was. But Brock hadn’t denied liking men which hurt, it hurt because Elias was at least some part of the problem, and he wasn’t enough for Brock. Despite knowing this, though, the pain still hurt. It would have been better if Brock had done something horrific or unforgivable, but he’d been so extraordinarily kind and looked genuinely pained to let Elias down. Maybe the Viking was right, though, maybe these sort of relationships wouldn’t work out. Because if he had dated Brock and Brock had told him all of his deepest secrets, confided in him about his insecurities, told him all of the extended family drama that every family had, all while Elias was holding this secret back it would be deceitful. If he told Brock, and Brock rejected that part of him, Elias didn’t think he’d be able to handle it. And if Elias told Brock and Brock asked him not to deal with the Viking he didn’t think that he’d be able to consider it.

But then there was the possibility that a relationship with Brock could be happy. He might tell Brock that he had powers and Brock might smile up at him and accept it. That was the line of thinking that Elias was mourning. Brock didn’t want the relationship in the first place. 

Elias was the first one to leave practice, not bothering to hear about any plans that might be thrown around. He didn’t want to see Brock, he didn’t want to hear Brock, and he certainly didn’t want to feel Brock’s pitying gaze on him. 

_ Can we meet up tonight?  _ The Viking had texted him.

_ Whatever. _ Elias texted back. 

_? _

_ Sorry, just a bad day. Sure _ . 

They made plans to meet at their usual spot at 9, but the phone rang unexpectedly about four hours prior. Elias answered, half-expecting the Viking to cancel or have some sort of excuse but when he picked up the phone, the Viking’s voice was desperate. 

“I need your help,” the Viking said, “Please.”

“Where?” Elias asked. 

The Viking rattled off an address on the outskirts of Vancouver that would take Elias at least twenty minutes to drive to. 

“Will you be okay?” 

“Just get here,” the Viking said. That wasn’t a yes. Elias grabbed his domino mask and broke almost every traffic law in order to reach the destination. 

The closer he got, the more Elias could make out smoke billowing into the sky. There were fire trucks trying to fight the blaze and amongst them, he could see the Viking trying to approach the fire. 

“Viking,” Elias asked as he ran up to his friend. It was just like his vision, the fire taunted them and the closer Elias got, the more he could feel the heat of the blaze. “Why are we here?”  
“It’s one of us,” the Viking said. “There’s a girl inside, she’s one of us. I’ve tried to get close, but I can’t and we’re on borrowed time.”

“Why am I here?” Elias asked.

“You can stop this,” the Viking said, “You can make her stop, she’s out of control.”

“I can’t,” Elias said, “Please don’t make me.”  
“People will die. These guys have families but this fire will kill a lot of people. All you have to do is make her stop it.” 

“You told me not to,” Elias reminded him, “Please don’t make me do this.”

“You have to, and you know that.” Elias knew the Viking was right. He could barely see the woman among the flames, but if she was really as out of control as the Viking said, it wouldn’t end well. 

Elias swallowed, “Just this once.”

Elias ignored the yelling of the firefighters as he headed closer to the flames. He felt like he was on fire. His eyes watered under the mask as the heat engulfed him. “Stop,” Elias choked out, but he was drowned out by the roar of the fire. Everywhere he turned, flames licked up the walls of the burnt out building. 

“Make it stop,” a voice that seemed so far away yelled.

He looked for the woman, she was screaming and sobbing. “I can’t stop it, please help me.” She had caused it, but there was no controlling it. 

“Look at me,” Elias said, pressing forward even though everything told him not to. He made eye contact with her, concentrating. “You need to stop this. Put the fires out.”  
“I need to put the fires out,” she repeated. The flames slowly died down as Elias kept repeating the words.

“Stop this, the fires need to go out.” 

Elias felt a sharp tug on his arm, “We’ve got to go.”

The Viking half-dragged him away from the fire crews and they ran back to his car. The Viking got in the driver’s seat and pulled away from the scene.

“What about her?” Elias asked.

“They’ll take care of it,” the Viking said as he drove away, “We need to take care of you.”

Elias glanced down at his hands and for the first time, he noticed the red welts forming. The adrenaline from the incident had caused him not to realize he’d been burned. “Oh my god,” Elias screamed.

“You’re okay,” the Viking said through gritted teeth. 

“What did I do?” Elias asked, “I forced her to do something.”  
“You saved people’s lives.”

“You told me not to do that,” Elias said.

The Viking hit the steering wheel, “I know. Don’t you think I know that, but what other option did we have.”

“I thought I was going to die,” Elias said.

“I know. I’m sorry,” the Viking said, “I know this was your vision and I know how scared you were.”

“But I wasn’t alone,” Elias said.

“I promised,” the Viking said, “And I’m sorry for what happened, I never wanted that for you, or what’s going to happen.”

“What’s going to happen?” Elias asked.

“We can talk about that later,” the Viking said, “let’s just focus on getting you home and taken care of.”

Elias’s hands were throbbing and as the Viking drove through the city, Elias could only think about the burns on his hands. They weren’t so severe that they would need medical attention, but they ached. Worse yet, he could only imagine how this would impede his hockey, or how he would explain it away. 

The Viking pulled into his parking garage and led him out of the car. Elais kept staring at his hands as they entered the elevator straight to his apartment, just trying not to be seen and trying not to touch anything. 

The Viking used his apartment key to open the door, “You’re in shock, let’s get your hands bandaged up and then go to bed, okay?” 

The Viking headed to the bathroom and grabbed his small first aid kit.

“You’re okay,” the Viking murmured as he put antiseptic on the burns and wrapped them up with gauze. He gave Elias a glass of water and helped him drink it so that he wouldn’t have to touch the glass. He took care of him with such tenderness, helping him undress and change into pajamas and thinking of everything Elias might need, all the while keeping his domino mask on. 

“I’m going to head out, okay?” the Viking said, satisfied with how Elias had settled in.

“What did you want to talk to me about earlier?” Elias asked. 

For a moment the Viking paused. He looked like he wanted to say something but stopped, “Nothing. Feel better, Alien.”

It was only after the Viking had left, that Elias realized he’d known where he lived without Elias giving him any instructions. The Viking knew who he was. 


	14. Chapter 14

Elias woke up in the early morning when the painkiller wore off and the ache in his hands returned. They were wrapped like mummies but still hurt, like the worst sunburn that he’d had on a family vacation to Spain a few years back.

“Fuck,” Elias said as he started to unwrap the bandages. His hands were oozing and covered in the goo that the Viking had put on the previous night before.

He called up the Canuck’s front desk at a reasonable time, “I have the flu. I’ve been throwing up all night.” He lied easily. 

The office wished him a fast recovery and gave him strict instructions to come in and see their trainers if he was still sick after three days. 

Elias called Edler to let him know so that he wasn’t worried about him. He knew that Alex would be able to answer any questions if anyone asked where he was. Elias didn’t bother to send Brock a message, not that he was even certain that he would care. 

Elias spent the morning with a routine with tylenol, sleep, and water. By the early afternoon, he’d received messages from a lot of his teammates wishing him better. 

_ I dropped off some soup at your lobby, feel better soon _ . Brock had texted him. 

Elias wandered downstairs to see the doorman. He hadn’t even bothered to change into proper clothes. 

“A friend dropped off some soup, I think,” Elias said. The doorman handed a bag to Elias. He could smell the chicken noodle soup wafting out of the bag. He was about to head to the elevator when he heard the doorman call after him. 

“Wait, there’s one more thing,” the doorman said.

Elais turned around and saw the doorman holding up a small succulent.

“What is that?” Elias asked.

“I think an aloe plant,” the doorman shrugged.

There was a small card in the aloe plant’s pot. A crude drawing of what Elias could only assume was a Viking axe. He smiled, “Thanks.”

With additional clarity, after the shock of the previous night, Elias wondered how the Vikin knew who he was. The Viking had never said anything prior, but Elias wondered if he’d said or done something to tip the Viking off. He googled the Viking and articles had already been written about last night’s incident. 

_ The Viking is Dangerous, but the Alien and Powderkeg are the Real Dangers _

_ Heroes or Villians: People with Powers aren’t as Straightforward Good or Bad _

_ What we know about the Alien: 5 Fast Facts About Vancouver’s Latest Powered Person _

There was one, though that Elias clicked on, it demanded the release of the registry. One part alone stuck out to Elias, “People with powers have a secret identity and by doing so, have legal immunity. Release of the registry eliminates that. We have police and firefighters for a reason, trained and educated as we intend. These ‘superheroes’ take things into their own hands with their own agendas. They are not entitled to the privacy that they claim so we are demanding they expose themselves.”  
In theory that was fine, but Elias knew that they wouldn’t be seen as equals. They were loved as long as they were in favor with the public, but now they were vilified. They wouldn’t be safe if their identities were revealed because at least one person would want to hurt them. This was precisely Elias’s fear about the registry. It put them all in a centralized location for vulnerability.

_ Can I come over?  _ The Viking had messaged. 

_ Sure. _

The Viking must have been lurking nearby because Elias heard a tap on his window and saw him perched on the fire escape. 

Elias opened the window and gave space for the Viking to come in.

“You’re not wearing your mask,” the Viking said.

Elias shrugged, “It doesn’t really matter, you know who I am.”

The Viking sighed, “I’m sorry, I wanted to let you tell me, if you ever wanted to even. All I could think about last night was getting you home safely.”

“What are you going to do about it?” Elias asked.

“Nothing,” the Viking said, “It’s not my secret to share.”

“How long did you know?” Elias asked.

“Officially, since you said you were Swedish,” the Viking said, “We don’t get too many Swedes around here besides university students and your arrival aligned with the start of the hockey season. Besides, I meant what I said about not liking unknown people with powers in the city.” 

“Like last night?” Elias asked.

“That was a tragedy,” the Viking said, “It shouldn’t have happened like that.”

The Viking just sounded sad. Elias reached forward and gently placed a hand on the edge of the Viking’s mask. “This is usually the part where you take off your own mask,” Elias said, pausing, though, to let the Viking have the final say. The Viking gently leaned his head into the bandaged one of Elias’s. 

“I’m sorry,” the Viking said, “I can’t.”


	15. Chapter 15

Elias backed away, “Don’t you trust me?” 

“I trust you more than anyone else, believe me, that’s not the problem,” the Viking said, “But the less you know about me the better, for your own sake.”

“Is it because of who I am?” Elias asked, getting angrier as the conversation continued.

“No, no believe me when I say it has nothing to do with that,” the Viking replied, “But a lot of things happened over the past 24 hours and there are a lot of things that you don’t know that are going to happen. The less you know about me the better, both for your safety and mine.”

“Then tell me,” Elias said, “Our original deal was that I would provide you with information, why doesn’t it go both ways?”

“Because I almost lost you the other night,” the Viking said, his eyes closed in pain.

“What?” Elias said, the Viking’s words almost taking his breath away. 

“You almost died because I got you involved in something dangerous, I encouraged you to use your powers even though you didn’t want to. And don’t get me wrong, it was the only way that things could have ended as well as they did, I truly believe that. But I also know that you never wanted this life and you never wanted to become the Alien and I forced you to,” the VIking said. 

Dread filed Elias’s stomach, “I mean I’m okay with it now,” he said.

“I’m not,” the Viking said, “I want the cell phone back.”

“What?” 

“I think it’s time that the Alien retired,” the Viking said, “Please, I want you to have a normal life, I want you to be safe and happy and I can’t guarantee that if I keep you in this life.” 

Elias felt tears burn in his eyes, “But then you’ll be all alone.”

“Things will go back to the way that they were,” the Viking said.

“I don’t want it to,” Elias said, “You were the first superpowered person that I met, you made me feel not alone and I think that I did the same for you. We’re friends, please don’t take that away from me.”

“We can’t be seen together, something is going to happen in the next day or two and I don’t want you to deal with the fallout. I can’t really tell you what it is, but I don’t want you to deal with the consequences. So this is going to be the last time that we can meet.”

Elias just started to cry at this point, “Please don’t.”

“Elias, give me the phone,” the Viking said and held out his hand, waiting for the phone that he had given to him all those nights ago.

Elias reluctantly handed him the phone, “What if I need to contact you?”

“You won’t,” the Viking said.

“If things were different…” 

“If things were different, I would never say goodbye to you,” the Viking said.

“What if I could protect myself?” 

“You shouldn’t have to,” the Viking said, “You’re nineteen years old, you’re in your first year in the NHL, you should be focusing on those things.”

“What about you?” Elias asked, “I want you to be okay.”

“I’ll be fine, I promise,” the Viking said, “Just can I ask you for one more thing, after I’ve already asked you for so much?”

“What?” 

The Viking got closer to Elias and hugged him, taking care to avoid his injured hands. They stood there like that for a while and Elias buried his face into the crook of the Viking’s neck. He clung to the Viking trying to remember everything about him, “I don’t want this.”  
“Neither do I, but please, let me protect you this once,” the Viking said. 

“What are you so scared of?” Elias asked.

“You’ll know when it happens. Who knows, maybe you’ll see me around without my mask sometime,” the Viking said, trying to regain some sense of levity. 

_ Report: The Alien is dead _

Reports from the building fire noted that the Alien appeared injured in the aftermath of the fire. Vague statements from the Viking suggest that the Alien may have died due to his injuries early the following morning, however, neither he nor other sources close to the situation have confirmed the Alien’s death. 

Elias sighed. This was the out that the Viking had promised. It was all that Elias had wanted just a few weeks ago, but now it didn’t even seem appealing. The Viking had shut the door on their partnership and Elias suspected there were reasons beyond his control, but that didn’t mean Elias couldn’t choose that life for himself. So, on a walk around his neighborhood when he passed the boxing gym that he always passed, he stopped and walked in. He grabbed a pamphlet that offered private lessons that promised to teach people how to fight and defend themselves, no experience needed. Maybe the Alien didn’t have to disappear. 


	16. Chapter 16

Elias returned to practice three days after he’d first called it. It was long enough that the flu excuse seemed viable. His hands were still tender and red, like the remnants of a sunburn that took a long time to fully heal over. 

He walked into a conversation between Troy, Jake, and a few others. “Dude, the Alien in totally dead,” Jake said, “We haven’t seen him for, like, three days.”

“There is no way,” Troy said, “Look, I think he got injured in the fire, sure, but I don’t think he had life-threatening injuries.”

“Haven’t you heard of smoke-inhalation?” Jake asked.

Brock cleared his throat, “The Alien’s dead.”

“How the fuck would you know?” Troy asked.

Brock shrugged, “Look at the newspapers, nobody survives something like that.” The others just stared at him in surprise that he’d joined the conversation and that he’d had as much conviction in his words as opposed to the rest of their speculation as he headed out onto the ice. 

“I think the Alien’s alive, actually,” Elias interrupted, “I agree with Troy.”

“See,” Troy said, as if Elias’s approval confirmed his theory. 

Elias sighed, he’d hoped that the space between him and Brock would have given Brock time to get over Elias’s feelings. He had hoped that the time away would give him time to get over his feelings, but all he had wanted to do was have Brock run up, greet him and welcome him back. But it didn’t look like he was going to get that.

“Glad to have you back,” Troy said, “Maybe Brock will stop being a dick.”

“Was he… not himself?” Elias asked.

“He was kind of a tool, missing his bestie or whatever,” Troy said, “Glad you recovered though, from what was it again, the flu?”

“Yeah,” Elias lied.

“I didn’t realize the flu affected your hands,” Troy said as he glanced down to the healing burns. 

“I didn’t realize that was any of your business,” Elias snapped back. 

Troy raised his hands in surrender, “Hey, the flu can have weird symptoms…but if it wasn’t the flu, we’d have your back.”

“It was just the flu,” Elias said and jammed his hands into gloves. 

“Okay, well still, deal with your boy because he almost made Jake cry the other day,” Troy said. 

“Brock did?” Elias asked, “Well, I’m pretty sure that I’m the last person he wants to talk to right now.”

“What do you mean?” Troy asked.

“I just… I figured things out, from earlier, I guess, and he didn’t like that.”

“I’m sorry,” Troy said.

Elias shrugged, “Things will get back to normal sooner or later, I just don’t think I’d be helping if I talked with Brock.”

“If he keeps this up, I’ll kill him,” Troy muttered before he too headed out on the ice. 

Brock stayed his distance during practice, but there was no sign of any of the dickish behavior that Troy had warned Elias about. Elias was back to normal, his hands throbbed towards the end of practice, but he was glad to be back. The ice was familiar and his home and he was happy to have this normalcy back, even if, for the time being, it was painful. 

After practice, Brock cornered Elias in the locker room. “Can we talk?” Brock asked. 

“Aren’t we doing that now?” Elias asked, digging his feet into the ground. He knew that he was just being stubborn. 

“Privately,” Brock said.

Elias shrugged, “Come over to my place.”  
It took the drive back to Elias’s apartment for him to regain a couple kernels of hope that Brock would have changed his mind. He hoped that Brock would open up and talk to him and maybe get out of the funk that Troy had said he was in. 

Brock was just minutes behind Elias as they pulled into his apartment complex. Despite the coldness between them, Elias felt the slightest bit excited. 

“I got your chicken soup, so thanks,” Elias said, as he let Brock into the place. 

“About what you said earlier, about having feelings for me-”

“We don’t need to talk about this,” Elias brushed off. 

“If things were different-”

“Funnily enough, you’re the second person that has said that to me this week. Why can’t they be different?” Elias asked. 

Brock sputtered, “That’s not how things are.”

“The question is simple. Do you like me or don’t you?” Elias asked, “The rest is things that we can figure out, 

“I’m not brave like you,” Brock said.

Elias snorted, “I’m not brave, but I’m not willing to let other people dictate how I live my life. So unless anything has changed, Brock, I think you should go.”

“I’m sorry,” Brock said.

“So am I,” Elias replied and led Brock out the front door of his apartment. 

“I want us to be friends,” Brock said.

“I do to, I want us to be more than friends,” Elias said, “But if this is how things are going to be, I need to have space… from you.”

“I-” Brock started to say something, but stopped, “See you at practice, then.”

And just like that, Elias’s hopes were dashed. He’d just had the hopes of Brock changing his mind dashed, and now the rocky ground that their friendship was on was even more in jeopardy.

The next day, Elias walked by the boxing gym again and this time headed in. “I’m looking to book a couple of sessions,” he told the receptionist.

“Do you have any practice?” she asked him.

“No,” Elias said, “But I’m in good shape and eager to learn.”  
“Max! You want a new student?” she yelled in the back. 

A woman a few years older than Elias came out and looked him up and down. 

“You want to learn to box?” She asked.

“Yeah, I’m a hockey player, but I can’t fight for shit,” Elias said.

“I’m Max.” 

“Elias,” he said and shook her hand.

“I’ll start teaching you tomorrow,” She said with a faint smile. 

And that’s how Elias decided he’d hang onto the Alien at least for a while longer and he found a new teacher, even if the Viking wouldn’t teach him anything anymore.


End file.
